Related Links

LA JOLLA, Calif. - Despite 30 kills from Johl Awerkamp in his first match of the season, the UC San Diego men’s volleyball team suffered a tough five-set loss against Mountain Pacific Sports Federation (MPSF) rival University of the Pacific Friday night at RIMAC Arena.

Set scores were 17-25, 25-19, 34-36, 26-24 and 15-9 in a second successive five-set loss for the Tritons.

UCSD fell to 7-19 overall and 4-17 in MPSF play, while UOP upped its records to 8-17 and 5-16. The Tigers swept the season series between the sides for a third year in a row, having previously won 3-1 in Stockton on Feb. 8.

Triton setter Mike Brunsting amassed a personal-best 64 assists on the night, a single-match high in the MPSF this season. The junior added four kills, one ace, three digs and four blocks.

Fellow junior Awerkamp’s match- and career-high 30 kills also marked a single-match best by a UCSD player in 2013. Carl Eberts had produced 22 kills in a five-set home win over Cal Baptist on Jan. 17. It was the most kills by a Triton since Frank Fritsch totaled 33 in a 3-1 home win over Hawai’i on Mar. 13, 2009. A native of Mission Viejo, Awerkamp collected his first 17 kills without an error. For the night, he hit .414 (30-6-58).

The Tritons hit .643 (20-2-28) in the opening set to cruise to the eight-point win. It was their most efficient game this season, bettering a .630 clip (20-3-27) from game four of a 3-2 home victory over Cal Baptist on Jan. 17.

Tied at one set apiece, the marathon third stanza featured 18 tie scores and seven lead changes. UCSD was left staring at a pair of set points, down 24-22, when an Awerkamp kill and Tiger error around a UOP timeout leveled the score. A solo block by Brunsting on Hughes gave UCSD its first set point at 25-24.

Another Awerkamp kill fended off a sixth Pacific set point and tied the score one final time at 34-34 before back-to-back Vaun Lennon kills on Eberts serves won it for the Tritons.

The fourth frame was a tight affair as well with 16 deadlocks and the advantage changing hands on six occasions. All square at 23-23, a UOP service error gave UCSD match point. Moments later, however, a Hughes kill and a combo block by Hughes and Marty Ross on Awerkamp pushed set point over to the Tigers and forced a UCSD timeout. Ross’ kill brought on the decider.

Pacific was the stronger side in that final game, hitting a match-best .600 (10-1-15). A pair of 5-0 runs earned the Tigers considerable cushions at 5-1 and 11-4, the latter too big for the Tritons to overcome. Troy had five kills, an ace and a block assist.

The Tritons play host to eighth-ranked Stanford on Saturday night, Apr. 6. First serve at RIMAC Arena is set for 7 p.m.

Triton Notes: UCSD is now 3-4 in five-set matches in 2013 … Both UCSD and Pacific had already been eliminated from contention for a berth into the 2013 MPSF Tournament heading into the weekend … The Tritons have lost six straight to UOP since 2011 after winning six straight meetings from 2008-10 … The 36-34 third set was the longest in the MPSF this year … Johl Awerkamp now has 11 matches with double-figure kills as a Triton, coming over his last 11 appearances … Carl Eberts turned in the 54th performance of his career with double-digit kills, and team-leading 15th this season … With his 14 kills tonight, Eberts increased his career total to 1,016, fifth-most in program history … Chase Frishman’s season-high 14 digs increased his career total to 649, second-most in the program record book … It was Frishman’s eighth match this season with double-figure digs and 25th of his career … UCSD hit .363 on the night, its second-best percentage of the season (.376, Feb. 15 vs. UC Santa Barbara).